HOUSTON -- Barbara Bush’s funeral procession passed through Memorial Park in Houston on Saturday, where there's a section named after her, and admirers said it was worth waiting hours for the former first lady.

• A section of the park was named after her in 1996
• Some waited for hours to catch a glimpse of the procession

Dozens lined up early to honor her as her motorcade moved through Memorial Park, where she had a regular presence. She often walked or ran alongside there. In 1996, a section of the park was named after Barbara Bush and her husband former President George H.W. Bush.

Laura Barron waited almost two hours, sitting on a lawn chair on Memorial Drive.

“You only get one time to say good bye to her like this. When I saw her pass on TV, you know, it touched me and I just told myself, you know, I wanted to be here,” said Barron.

Some Houstonians were there for the Bush family enforcer, like she was for her community. 

“My wife invited her to come to her to one of her functions. [Barbara Bush] was so gracious, came in [said,] 'Nice to see you.' Pictures and the whole nine. She was a really, really cool lady,” said Kerry Walsh, who frequently goes on runs around the park.

The former first lady, who was a longtime champion of literacy, whose life, as Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson said, was a "good read." Her death Tuesday marked the final chapter of a 73-year love story. 

“I just feel so bad for [George H.W. Bush]] having to live without her. It’s just emotional, you know, to me. They’re really about country and family and a lot of what we don’t see in people portrayed nowadays,” said Houston resident Rikki Kief.

As the funeral procession headed to College Station, Mrs. Bush stopped by Memorial Park for one last time. It was a brief, but beautiful moment for many.

“Even though she lived a long life, it’s hard to see that come to an end,” Kief said. 

But it may inspire others to live a life of patriotism and public service. They say you need to have what she had.